Bestia
by CrypticMoonFang
Summary: A mysterious new girl appears, and she's stronger than all the Titans combined. Can they trust her? And does she have anything to do with the several legends Raven finds in her ancient books?
1. Chapter 1

~Chapter 1~

I ran. I had nowhere to go, I already knew, but nevertheless I needed to get out. I needed to run away and find somewhere I could stay until I could escape everything. Fate had been cruel to me lately, and ever since I was born. Time had never healed me. It hadn't even tried... Family had done me no good whatsoever. What was there left to turn to? What could heal the damage done?

I crawled silently along the floorboards of the containment unit until I could find out where those guards were headed. It was forbidden to leave; if I was caught...

Two buff men passed by, talking nonsense on their walkie-talkies. I sneered at them, but remained in my craw space.

I wanted to do this silently and without any harm, but if worst came to shove, people would die. I would _not_ be kept here any longer! My tail flicked in frustration as I tried to calm it. What could I say? The thing had a mind of its own. The fur that sprouted on the end of it tickled me as I tried my best to hide my face. My dark-brown hair covered the rest of my head.

As soon as the men were out of eyeshot and earshot, I sneaked out of the craw space. I pressed myself against the wall and sucked in my already-thin stomach. I held my breath and entered the next area right down the metal-coated halls.

As soon as I accidentally tripped on the dislocated wires dangling from a nearby outlet, alarms furiously screamed. Red light flashed above me. They now knew where I was. I gritted my fangs against one another, a habit I'd become accustomed to doing. Stress almost overtook me, but luckily it didn't. I dashed into the next area, where few dared to go anymore. I was an area fallen into disrepair, and they were planning to get rid of it by destruction.

I slid to a halt once I got into this area. It was a large room I'd never been in before. But even in here sirens called for them. Looks like here wasn't safe either...

I shot my head around when I heard voices behind me. They were telling each other not to scare me. I agreed with them. Well, halfheartedly. Perhaps scaring me would be best for my escape.

Shadows vanished and appeared in unison with the flashing red lights. A few of the guards had passed, but they would probably check this room I was in. I needed to find some other way to get out. After all, I couldn't keep hiding forever.

Once I figured the coast was clear, I dashed behind the nearest possible object, only to discover it was one of the guards.

"Well, well. You always _were_ one of the sneakier ones. You know the penalty for this; let's go." the man said in a very gruff tone.

My pupils widened to inhuman proportions. I felt fear overwhelm me, and the next thing I knew, the man was laying on the ground. Dead. It happened again. I hoped dearly this wouldn't happen in the real world...

Oh well, so much for quietly... I looked at the man one more time before running off in the opposite direction, only to find myself on a conveyor belt. This was the room where many different medicines were distributed. Fortunately, I had nothing to fear from these test tubes.

A giant vat of lavender-colored liquids bubbled below me. The merciful popping sounds calmed my wracking nerves a bit. My tail swept across the floor, nervously hanging limp. I calmed myself as much as I could. Like a gymnast, I etched forward on the leathery belt.

Eventually I made it over the huge pot of boiling liquid. Once across, I stilled myself. I could've sworn I heard something trailing me... And if it was _them_...

A roar was heard in the near distance. They'd finally sent out the dogs of this jail. Bad news for me, good news for them. I ran forth and kept running, until I finally arrived at a light that wasn't building lights for once.

I headed out.

I didn't know what awaited me at the other side of the exit. But anything would be better than being caught. It _had _to be better.

What I found was astonishing. Trees, grass, and clouds! A lovely breeze fluttered my way. I loved the feeling of the wind in my hair! It was refreshing and satisfying at the same time. Like I had reached a happy high. I was out, finally. I was free at long last. I could live properly now.

I breathed a sigh of relief too soon. The hounds were still after me, and they could tell exactly where I was.

I ran again, not wanting to cause an upstart.

* * *

I came across a cave far away from that place. I didn't have any intent on returning. Here was my new home. I would bunk here, I would eat here, and I would stay here. For the first time ever, I had a place of my own. I was truly free of any shackles of fear or rage remaining.

I smirked. They said it couldn't be done...but I did it.

* * *

**Sorry, guys! I was tired when I wrote this chapter... I know it sucks, but rest assured, later chapters will most certainly be better. This was simply a prologue. So hang in there and keep checking up. Thanks and please take time to review! No, really... Please review. My stories never get any reviews... Also, I'm always open to ideas, so let me know what you're thinking!**


	2. Chapter 2

~Chapter 2~

Beast Boy gazed out from the roof of Titans' Tower. The moonlit night was so...mysterious. Almost enchanting. But for some reason, tonight seemed strange, as though a great power had been unleashed somewhere nearer than expected. Being the one who embodied nature itself, he had the keen senses of every single species of organism on the planet. And even other planets. Perhaps it was an alien organism's senses that alerted him to this astounding power.

As he tried vainly to distinguish just what this new empowerment could be, he saw a serpentine silhouette slither across the star-dappled sky. The city lights glimmered below him as he stared in awe. Had he really just seen that? Could it have been an illusion?

The entire entity vanished, seeming otherworldly. It had been so serene and utterly graceful... And yet it had a powerful feel cloaked around it. Perhaps this was the power he felt earlier, but he didn't feel it anymore. Whatever it was, it was gone.

"Beast Boy," Raven deadpanned, breaking him out of his trance. The said character turned his head to look at her. "It's getting late; you should go to bed now."

The green humanimal nodded, but quickly retorted, "Then what are you still doing up?"

Raven blushed slightly, but kept a straight face as she answered, "I...thought I sensed something just now. But I might have been imagining it."

Beast Boy's eyes glanced back to the moonscape, to the spot where the shadowy figure had flown in and out of his sight. "Well," he replied, "I did _see_ something, but I can't tell if it was really there or not. Kinda like a vague dream."

Raven nodded understandingly and opened a portal to her room. Then she descended into it, leaving Beast Boy to be on his own.

The changeling turned his attention back to the stars. Deep down, he knew he saw something, but his mind told him it was a phony. He replayed the image of a snakelike creature flying gracefully across the moon's light and disappearing into the black sky. What kind of animal was that, if it had existed?

Instead of conducting extensive research on what he thought he saw, the hero tried in vain to turn into the organism now penetrating his thoughts.

"I can't morph into it," he thought aloud, "Was it a machine?"

A cold front blew past him, and his body shivered in response.

Knowing it was time to sleep now, and that he could start his investigation tomorrow, he quickly guided himself down the stairs and into his room to escape the cold winds.

* * *

A lone girl shivered violently as another freezing wind blew on her. Her tail's fur wasn't helping much, even though she was inside her cave. She splayed her own thick hair over her shoulders and faced the entrance of the cave. Her teeth still chittered. The rocky room slightly echoed her.

Annoyed, she pulled her legs up close to her and started crying. She only _thought_ she'd had a home, but looking at the place now... She had everything she needed, right? Shelter, abundant food and water, and even shade for when the sun got too hot. What was missing?

Maybe it wasn't her at all. Maybe the cave was just too big. But if that were so, then she wouldn't feel so confined. So it was her after all. Hopefully tomorrow would be better, and she could find some nice sunlight to bask in.

The definite sound of thunder and the distinctive flash of lightning forced her to retreat further back in her home. Those sounds didn't scare her at all, but they were indeed unpleasant. But, after all, she'd been through much worse than this before. In fact, the only reason she'd escaped that forsaken place was so she could start a new, better, and more worthwhile life. That place served none of these purposes.

* * *

The next morning, Starfire woke to the morning sun shining brightly in her eyes. She inched her eyes open and got out of bed. Being a morning person already, it didn't take long for her to get dressed and get ready to start yet another day.

The alien princess dashed out of her room and into the kitchen. Today was the day her friends would try a new Tamaranian recipe! Oh, she was ever so excited.

Getting out all the ingredients took a good amount of effort. A huge pot was placed on the stove and a matching ladle of over a foot's length was placed in it. No water was to be put in the pot. Instead, Starfire got out a strange-looking plant that seemed to move every now and then. It was big and round, much like a large pillow. She held it over the still-heating pot and squeezed it as hard as she could, until the thing was emptied of its juices.

"Such a small glorfog will not be as flavorful, but a large one would produce too much shalgal," she pondered. "But the dish should taste nearly the same, so long as I dice the glorfog."

She proceeded to get out a large cutting board and a butcher's knife. The glorfog's screams could be heard as it was brutally severed and diced. Then it was put into the pot along with its already-boiling juice. Now the pot had violet-colored liquids and tiny cubes of glorfog floating in it.

Soon after the pot was almost overflowing with the stew, Starfire welcomed her friends into the main room. Each of them were served a helping of the Tamaranian soup.

All of them but Starfire sat at the table for at least thirty minutes looking at their food.

"Uh, this is a veggie soup, right, Star?" Beast Boy asked.

"Of course! It is a most wonderful glorfog and dargon surprise!" the bubbly Tamaranian answered.

"Time to die," Raven drawled.

"Oh, I have checked and it is not poisonous to humans," she answered, obviously not catching the sarcasm in her friend's voice.

Robin and Cyborg simply mutter to each other, testing and daring the other to eat it first and live. It came to be that Cyborg semi-ate it by collecting a sample in his armor and testing it. At that point, the muttering became an all-out argument between the two. And it was quickly settled by Beast Boy, who strangely enough was getting irritated at the bickering pair.

"Just eat it at the same time!" he yelled, catching everyone's attention.

Mouth agape and a spoonful of still-bubbling stew at hand, Raven looked at him, letting the slop slide out of her spoon as she did. "Beast Boy, what's the matter with you today?"

"What are you talking about? I'm fine," the changeling quickly replied in a fake, cover-up tone.

"You've been pretty tense ever since last night," the dark-cloaked girl stated simply.

The humanimal sighed. The truth? He had been way beyond tense. That surge of power he'd felt last night had left him feeling threatened, and as a side effect of his animal instincts, he couldn't help but respond _somehow_. So he just nodded slightly, almost enough to be called a twitch.

"Is anything on your mind, Beast Boy?" the Boy Wonder asked cautiously, so as not to upset him further.

Beast Boy thought it over for a few moments, but then shook his head. "No," he answered, "It's nothing."

The rest of the group gradually returned to the texture and taste of the Tamaranian dish, which hadn't been as worse as the alien pudding they'd once tried.

But as the day dragged on, the single green shapeshifter only got more tense, until the atmosphere around him was unbearable. He spent most of his time outside that day, searching and waiting for something extraordinary to appear before him and state its business on earth. Something was out there, and he couldn't rest until he found out what it was. In fact, the very thought of its power was more than enough to raise the hairs on his neck and send chills prickling through his spine.

Eventually, nighttime fell, and the now waxing moon illuminated the skies. A few darkened clouds blocked the full view of it, but the creature once again swept across the sky, as it had before. It was the same serpentine creature Beast Boy had seen the night prior.

And he was watching tonight as well; he was ready. He morphed into a bat and, using the gift of echolocation, he flapped sloppily over to where he had seen the monster flying. But once he got to the spot where he was sure the beast had been, he found himself hopelessly confused. His sound vibrations were being interrupted by another lower-pitched signal. His clear map of the skyscape was being rudely distorted. But why and how? How would probably be the other sound jamming his own signal. But why was unknown; perhaps it was unintentional.

Suddenly, though, something three or four times bigger than a blue whale knocked him sideways. Luckily for the changeling, it didn't take long to regain his balance, and he carried after it in deep pursuit.

The creature made no attempt to shake the trailing bat, but kept flying quite comfortably and smoothly over the air currents. It suddenly dropped and landed mere inches away from a medium-sized cavern. It obviously had unrivaled accuracy.

Beast Boy was stunned momentarily. The sheer size of the creature had been more than enough of a hint as to how powerful it was. But little did he know that he had literally no _idea_ what the capability of this thing was. However, the hero had gotten the bottom line. It was powerful. But was it evil? Could it have released some of its extraordinary power in an attempt to lure the team out, so it could dispose of them? Could it be that this new animal was controlled by Slade?

That night, the small bat didn't dare go into the cave in which the creature dwelt. Instead, he camped outside and waited until morning came to call his trustworthy teammates.


	3. Chapter 3

~Chapter 3~

Robin woke earlier than normal. In fact, everyone did. Their communicators were beeping relentlessly. This aweful sound wouldn't tolerate the Titans' sleeping. Robin was the first to groggily pick up and answer it.

"Hello?" he asked, yawning soon after to show his exhausted state.

It was Beast Boy; he had a worried but very serious look on his face. "It's me. Listen, I know it's early, but I need you guys to come down here. I'm near a big cave and there's something in here. It gives me chills just being near it! I want to call for a full-blown investigation. Get here as soon as you can. You can find me by tracking my locator signal."

"You're nervous about a cave? C'mon, Beast Boy... It's still early; I'm sure you're just being paranoid," the superhero dragged.

"Paranoid? No, no! I'm not being paranoid. I saw something two nights in a row. Raven said she sensed something; you have to trust me," the humanimal pleaded.

* * *

A lone person was just waking from her slumber. It had been quite the successful night, though she'd bumped into a bat upon her return home. Not that it mattered much, but disturbing nature wasn't ever something she'd willingly agree to do. What if the poor little guy was injured? Her scales were awfully sharp...

She shook her head vigorously. Nah, she hadn't puffed out her scales when she'd passed it. However, if those jail dogs ever found even a single drop of blood from any such flying creature, she'd surely be hunted down and dragged back to that prison in which she'd been confined for so long. And to escape that place, sacrifices had to be made. And to ensure her own survival, the number of kills would only increase. This would be a long procedure, and it would take far more time than she first thought, but anything was worth staying hidden.

Thankfully, she was their strongest prisoner. She was always sneaky, and had spent months plotting her escape. This only made it more obvious, though. They'd search top to bottom, even if it meant their own downfall.

* * *

"Man! Thank any animal on earth you guys are here!" a particular green hero merrily shrieked.

"Yeah, yeah. So what's the deal? Why'd you drag us all the way out in the middle of nowhere?" Cyborg grouched.

Beast Boy nodded quickly, "Get this, I saw a big thing flying through the air last night, and so I followed it. It lead me straight here and I don't think it came back out since last night."

"Something's in here. I can feel it. It's got immense power, both psychologically and bodily," Raven warned.

"See? I told you!" the shapeshifter said smugly.

"Let's just check it out for now. If this thing's got power, we don't want to tick it off," the Boy Wonder pointed out.

Everyone nodded once before making their way deep down, to the back of the rocky sideways hole. The cave itself looked natural, and definitely wasn't a secret base of any kind. There was no technology anywhere, given the exception of Cyborg, and the natural wonder didn't seem to be occupied.

"Where'd it go?" the changeling whispered, scared to talk.

Following his lead, everyone else whispered among themselves, mulling over where the culprit behind Beast Boy's stress was at.

A scuffle caught the small group's attention. They all looked toward the source as it scrambled out of the cave. They instinctively followed suit, only to find a wide-eyed girl with dark brown hair and hazel eyes staring directly at them. Her chest was heaving, as though she'd run a mile in a short time frame. But her eyes and expression told them it was fear. She was dressed in rags that were overworn and ripped.

Everyone stopped before her. The sight was pitiful, but her eyes were horrifying. On the brink of death, or so it looked, her eyes and cheeks were sunken. Her arms were close to a skeleton with flesh, and overall, she looked underweight and unhealthy.

Beast Boy inched towards her, hoping not to further her fright. He put a hand up submissively and said, "It's okay; we're here to help. Did you see a monster come out of this cave?"

The girl, whose arms were previously wrapped around her, dropped her arms and hung her head. She then laughed hysterically, almost as if she was crazy. Her pupils seemed to bore a hole right through everyone's souls. "If you've come to take me back...you'll die."

Beast Boy paused for a moment. Her voice, though deeper, was vaguely similar to Terra's. Growing nervous, he smiled, "C'mon, now. We're not bad guys, just tell us if you've seen a weird creature around here."

She grinned, and that's when everyone noticed her elongated canine teeth. Her scaly tail swayed silently behind her. "If you're really up for a fight..." she trailed off.

The entire team backed away, almost flinching from how creepy the scene was. Even the green superhero, who'd tried to help her, now retreated in fear. "We don't want to fight!" he said quickly, feeling as though he had to squeeze it in before she struck.

The girl merely blinked, as though she didn't know how to respond. "You don't?" she questioned. But then, still not trusting of the Titans, she immediately got defensive. "Wait! You're just tricking me!"

Everyone shook their heads, not wanting at all to fight this powerful being. By now, even Starfire, the pacifist of the gang, foresaw the outcome of a tangle with her.

"Who are you then? Why have you sought me out?" the girl mulled, still slightly defensive.

Robin took a step forward, but not in a threatening manner. "We didn't look for _you_ exactly. My friend here, Beast Boy, saw a strange creature flying in the night. He followed it to this cave, and we chanced across you."

The girls tail twitched in irritation. They were dumber than she thought. "A creature?"

"Yes," Robin continued, "We don't know what it was. Have you seen it?"

An eerie smile crept across the female's lips. They wanted a creature? Hadn't they taken account of her eyes, fangs, and tail? No matter. She could use these nimrods to her advantage; perhaps even befriend them, if possible.

"I'm sorry. There hasn't been a creature in sight," she lied.

Th Boy Wonder turned back to his teammates, convinced already. But the others weren't so sure of this.

"Robin, do you not notice her scaly tail and soul-wrenching eyes?" Starfire asked.

"Yeah, and the fact that her fingernails are actually claws?" Cyborg added.

"Don't forget her fangs," Beast Boy pointed out.

"She's far more powerful than any of us," Raven said.

The leader of the team peered over his shoulder at the mysterious girl. It was true, she was indeed creepy. She'd come out of nowhere, she was saying they'd die if they fought her. Thankfully no one was willing to fight.

The girl peered back at him. She then realized they weren't dangerous to her. Her emotions toward them softened dramatically. "You shouldn't be here," she said.

"Why?" the armored cyborg asked curiously.

"You wouldn't want to know. All I can tell you is that it's dangerous," she replied.

When they saw how her feelings had softened, they dropped their guard. She looked pretty kind on the inside.

"But you look as though your weight is not normal," Starfire pointed out.

The strange girl looked down with confused eyes. Her outline was slightly hidden underneath her clothing remnants, but it was very clear she was starving. Even her legs had next to nothing underneath their skin. "Not normal...?"

Even Raven, the one who had become so emotionally repressed, couldn't help but feel a tinge of pity for the girl. Starfire, whose very powers ran on emotion, was already sobbing.

"But I've always been like this. That means it has to be normal," the girl protested.

"How long have you been out here?" Beast Boy asked.

"Um..." She thought about telling him the truth, but quickly shoved the idea out of her head. If they learned where she'd come from, they'd surely send her back. The bars that had imprisoned her for so long would haunt her again. No second thoughts surfaced as she answered, "As long as I can remember."

"Maybe you should come home with us. We have lots of food and you can stay as long as you feel comfortable," Robin suggested.

Starfire instantly agreed, but Raven was skeptical. Cyborg also had a bit of an uneasy feeling about it, but the girl needed a place to stay; she couldn't wander out here with no food or water and dressed in rags.

"Would it be okay with her?" the girl asked, gesturing towards Raven.

"Sure," she said plainly.

"I-I don't know what to say; I kinda feel like I'm intruding," the girl said.

"Not at all. What's your name?" Beast Boy interrogated.

"They call me Bestia." the brown-haired girl replied.

"Bestia; that's a pretty name," he continued.

Raven immediately corrected him, "No, it's not. Bestia is the Latin word for beast."

"It's not like a name matters anyway. Your name is Raven and a raven is a bird, but you're not a bird. Her name is Bestia, but that doesn't make her a beast," he retorted.

Bestia looked down. Oh, how wrong people could be... A normal, ordinary girl wouldn't have been able to break out of that jail. A normal girl was sweet and naive and could express feeling very easily. She was none of these. So, in all fairness, she was a beast. A bestia. Something she never wanted to be. And also something that would never go away. She would have to remain like this for life.

"So, why do they call you Bestia? Are you Latin?" Robin asked.

"...No," she answered, "I'm not Latin. They call me Bestia because of my tail and claws."

"So Bestia is more of an expression, rather than an insult," Starfire said gleefully.

"Yeah, you could say that," she replied.

"We have to get going now. Bestia, is there any chance you'd want to come with us?" Cyborg asked.

"Sure," she answered.

The group, with Bestia following, made their way back to Titans' Tower. Little did they know it would be far more than an adventure they were in for.

* * *

**So, was this chapter better? I hope you liked it, because Bestia's going to show off some of her powers very soon. Maybe not in the next chapter, but it will, rest assured, be soon. And when she does, the Titans will realize just how strong she is. Hope you're looking forward to that, all who are reading. And I haven't gotten any reviews for this story yet, so I can't exactly thank anyone yet... It won't be long until I update again, so, if you're reading this, please review and tell me what you think so far!**


	4. Chapter 4

~Chapter 4~

Bestia ran inside in a flash. The sight she took in was amazing to her. It was so awe-inspiring that she couldn't stifle a gasp as her breath caught in her throat. The technology here was beyond her understanding. Not to mention the fact that this tower defied reality by being able to stand in a T-shape without any support beams to hold it up.

"You guys live here?" she absentmindedly asked.

Beast Boy perked up, realizing a perfect opportunity to show off his lame jokes. "Well, of course! We have fine dining every night here! Butlers, like Cyborg, wait on us and we love to party!"

Upon hearing his name being associated with the word 'butler', Cyborg hit Beast Boy upside the head. "I'm not a butler."

The girl watched in amusement as Raven and Robin tried to break up the squabble that was occurring. Though she didn't understand most of the words said by the two rival friends, she knew all about jealousy and aggravation. Her eyes glinted with satisfaction. This kind of anger was what she was used to; it was the only feeling she knew. Her entire environment had been constantly filled with fury and any other bad emotion; it was only natural that she'd come to accept it with open arms.

"I wish our friends would not argue as such..." Starfire sighed. Apparently she'd come up to Bestia while she was busy engulfing herself in the tense atmosphere.

Bestia looked to her left, where Starfire floated right by her. Uncomfortable with the closeness of the alien, she scooted awkwardly to her right, hoping to gain distance from her.

As the argument quieted down, Bestia told Starfire, "I think it's fine. Anger is a defensive feeling great for combat. You hit your opponent much harder when you're angry with them."

The whole room turned its attention on the girl that just spoke.

"Wow," Raven said, surprised at how dark that sounded.

"You guys know how I can get to the roof?" she questioned.

"Sure," Robin said, "But let's show you around first."

The girl followed Robin throughout the tower, the group tailing them. As expected, Raven gave no allowance to her room. Beast Boy made no attempt to tidy his room up. And Starfire literally gave the grand tour of her room. Cyborg just bragged about what kind of technology he used. Robin merely passed by his room, not feeling any need to show Bestia what was in it.

Eventually they came to the training room in the basement.

This was truly a sight to behold for the strange girl. So many weights and punching bags; even a few minor obstacle courses such as monkey bars and long poles sticking up from the ground.

Bestia loved it; she immediately set to work on the monkey bars. She jumped up and grabbed the first bar with her clawed fingers. Then she flung herself in a backward motion, landing on the top of the structure. She leapt up effortlessly and spun in the middle of her leap, alighting gracefully on the last bar and sticking the landing.

Everyone was awed. Not even Robin had been able to do that.

"Wow, you've sure got talent." he told her. "Have you been in a martial arts class before?"

Bestia looked up, wondering what a martial arts class was. "Yes?" she replied.

"Great!" Starfire was quick to chirp, "Then you may participate in our training course!"

Beast Boy's ears drooped slightly while Cyborg explained how Terra had torn it apart and they hadn't been able to fix much of it with the recent crime streaks. When he was done, the changeling just sighed heavily and agreed, wishing Terra hadn't turned on them and ended up destroying herself.

"That's right..." Robin pondered, "Well, since we don't have a training course anymore, you can train with one of us."

This comment seemed to perk up Beast Boy. "Uh, Robin, I don't think that's such a great idea." he whispered into his friend's ear.

"Sure it is." the boy protested, "If you want, you can be the first one up. I'd like to see how strong she is." Robin pushed Beast Boy in front of himself and slapped him on the back in a 'break-a-leg' gesture.

"You want me to fight _him_? But he's so...small." she whined.

"Believe me, Beast Boy knows how to fight. And he won't stay small for long." Raven warned quietly.

Bestia's eyes widened to horrendous proportions as she watched the shapeshifter transform into a stegosaurus. Smothering any fear she had, she smiled and got ready for a fight that was sure to knock 'em dead.

She took a stance with her arms pulled up to her body and her claws sticking towards her opponent. Her legs were spread apart as a brace for any impact, and her tail tensed up. Her eyes widened, alerting her to any sudden movement. It was a natural reaction that she couldn't control.

Beast Boy was the first to make a move after a short stare-down. He charged at her, giving it his all and not holding back anything. Immediately, Bestia jumped up at an inhuman altitude and landed squarely on his back. Her claws lengthened and she dug her nails into his skin, ensuring her hold on the beast. The hero roared in pain and tried furiously to buck her off, which was quite difficult when you weighed near eight hundred pounds. But every movement he made only served to deepen his pain, almost as though she was ripping a band-aid clean off his flesh.

Bestia lifted one hand from her target, and the fight would've been over in mere seconds, had she not felt her heart pulse. A horrified expression crossed her face, and she got off Beast Boy. She dropped to the ground and, using her claws, dug a pretty deep hole.

Beast Boy, on the other hand, morphed back and watched.

The girl leaped into the hole and stilled herself. Her breathing was deep and hoarse, as though she couldn't catch her breath. She stood motionless with her eyes closed and her chest heaving. This not being a solution, she pressed herself against the wall of the hole. This seemed to work after awhile, and she regained lung control. Slowly, she climbed back out of the hole.

Upon seeing her safe and okay, at least for now, the changeling let an agonized groan escape from his mouth and clenched his back, which had been nicely shredded.

Raven, the best healer of the group, ran to assist him and analyze his backside. The claw marks zigzagged down his spine, and the wounds could've been worse, but were still pretty bad. Blood trickled down, and Bestia watched in horror as Raven led him into the medical bay, where the door opened and closed with a pneumatic hiss.

Upon seeing the rest of the group follow suit, she trailed them. Had she done something wrong? Didn't they tell her to fight?

The green humanimal lay on his stomach in the medical room. His shirt had been completely pulled off and he now rested his head on his folded arms. Raven was tending to the injuries on his back; he occasionally winced in pain. After assuring that all the blood had been cleaned off, she applied some bandages.

The group looked back over their shoulders, Bestia was gone.

* * *

The sun had finally set, and a girl looked over the horizon. She sat down on a rocky and stone-cold perch. Glancing at her tail that flicked back and forth, she couldn't help but wonder why this haunted her. This tail, these fangs, these horrid claws, and most importantly these eyes. Hazel eyes with dark, soulless pupils. What was her purpose here? was it to destroy everything she came across? She surely didn't want to, even though her nature could suddenly turn violent.

A plane passed overhead, and the girl's eyes twinkled in amusement. Why was it that birds and butterflies could be so free, yet she had to be trapped in this accursed body?

She put her head in her hands out of frustration. It was so unfair! She suffered every day of her life, then when she finally freed herself, she only messed up. Perhaps those bars _were_ her destiny... Obviously that was all she was good for. Being stuck behind bars, only to be tormented daily by her fellow prisoners. The world had no use for her, and that _must_ be the reason she was put in such a terrible place.

Footsteps interrupted her self-pity, followed by a calm voice when they stopped. "Hi, Bestia. We were looking for you."

She turned around to find Cyborg, Robin, and Starfire. "I think...maybe it's time for me to go. I mean, who am I kidding? I don't belong here..." she said.

"Do not leave! You must stay!" Starfire pleaded.

"Why? So more of you will get hurt?" she retaliated.

"Actually, you're a great fighter, you just need to learn how to restrain yourself. We talked it over, and even Beast Boy thought it'd be a good idea if you joined the team." Robin said.

Her tail flicked in excitement, but Bestia was quick to hush it. "Are you sure?"

"Sure, but you'll need a place to sleep." Cyborg answered, smiling awkwardly.

* * *

Raven finished treating Beast Boy's wounds. They were pretty bad for just a test fight. Though she sensed a great deal of power emanating from the girl, she wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. But the empath would still keep her under close surveillance. She'd found legends dating back to ancient times, and this girl may just have an unbreakable link binding her to them. Two of these legends even involved the Loch Ness monster sightings.

"I don't trust her." Beast Boy muttered.

"Hm?" the teen wondered.

"What she did to me... It isn't anywhere near what she's capable of." the changeling clarified as he rose from the bed.

"I know. But you and I are the only ones who know it. The others don't have what we do; they can't sense it." she stated.

"She's way more powerful than she looks. She could probably wipe us all out with one move." he sighed.

Raven helped her teammate off the bed and propped him up straight. His back was killing him since the wounds were deep enough to tear muscle. The proof was written on his face. Even a low, agonized grunt could be heard.

"Maybe you should rest until those injuries heal." Raven advised.

He smiled a pitiful smile and said, "Nah, I'm fine."

"I've done everything I could; it won't heal entirely without rest." she pressed.

"Hey, can you do me a favor?" he asked.

"Depends." she deadpanned.

"When everyone else is asleep tonight, challenge Bestia. Don't hold back; use everything you've got. If it's not enough, stop the fight." he replied.


	5. Chapter 5

~Chapter 5~

Raven walked out of the room, letting Beast Boy get the rest he so desperately deserved.

Once inside her room, which wasn't too far from the medical bay, she used her powers to levitate an ancient book right in front of her face. She sat down on the bed and began reading intently. Several passages contained vague yet valuable information.

"Who can strip him of his armor? Who may exploit such bravery as to face the foul beast? For there is terror around every tooth he possesses. When he sneezes, light is drawn forth. His talons are among the strongest of weapons. He that veils himself in ashen smoke is unholy. He that brings about strife upon the innocent is dirty. He that lives in ice is filthy."

"...And it shall come to pass that this being will rise. And it will be that many are entangled in the war. And it will be fire that rains down on the earth."

"With the first beat of his wings, he will create a tempest lasting long. His underbelly cannot be penetrated, nor can his haunches. The creature will be nothing more than a flying beast of burden and despair. Those who have it in sight, and those who have with them weapons shall tremble in fear. It cannot be destroyed. Only when thunder shall come to part the clouds, will then the beast depart forever."

"...But others shall come and torment the day. The night will be haunted by this most unholy of spirits, and his soul shall forever be tortured in the deep fires of Hell."

The last passage struck Raven as a clue. Something about a soul being tortured... How would it be tortured? She continued reading.

"For he will have never seen the light of the sun before he is freed. And he will fight all that is sacred. He will perish, unless heroes become its savior. Those that created such a tormented beast will be eternally reaped, for they cared not of a living soul. But this will only be when he is free. Once his freedom has arrived, he will stop at nothing to destroy all life, for his soul hath been twisted, and he will have hand nor light to guide his darkened path."

Each paragraph perfectly described a dragon. But there were a few vague, uncomprehendable hints. One being 'he that lives in ice'. Would that mean the mountain peaks? Or perhaps Antarctica? But if Bestia was the dragon stated in the text, then what was she doing here? Of course, there was no clear evidence that she was the creature in her age-old books. It was merely a guess. She'd done the same with Terra, too. But the fact that she could actually sense this girl's strength was absurd! Perhaps it could be called paranoid, but she would call it precautious.

The soft sounds of lowly snores could be heard echoing almost inaudibly throughout the building. But Raven was always an alert and aware person; this sound reached her without much trouble. The fact that Beast Boy couldn't bring himself to trust Bestia... It was worrying. Beast Boy was the most naive person in the group; he trusted everyone.

Raven resolutely slammed the book shut and tucked it in between two other books on a shelf before silently and mindfully departing her room.

A thorough search of the building revealed two things: everyone was, in fact, asleep, and Bestia wasn't inside the tower.

However, the outside showed much different results. Bestia was wide awake and seemed lost in thought.

The empath was so quiet in her approach of the girl it was scary. "Bestia, let's duel now." she challenged on Beast Boy's behalf.

This brought the scaly-tailed girl out of her trance, letting her concentrate on Raven's words. "You know how powerful I am. I might hurt you..." she said sorrowfully.

"You won't. I'm only doing this for a friend. And if things get out of control, we stop the fight." she answered, laying down the rules in that instant. Unfortunately, most rules only seemed to be made to be broken.

"Very well. But I can take no responsibility for any injuries, since you were simply itching for a fight." she stated, smirking slightly.

Both teens took a fighting stance, and Raven was using levitation to rise above Bestia. The girl's tail flicked in excitement as it knew the battle was going to heat up soon. Bestia, too, knew this by sheer instinct.

Raven dared not make a first move; she waited patiently for her opponent to strike first.

Sure enough, Bestia leapt effortlessly into the air, her figure outlined by the moonlight. Though a graceful scene, it lasted only a moment as the fanged girl landed in front of Raven. She raised a claw to strike, but paused. Raven had put up quite a barrier around herself... She smiled. This would be a good fight indeed.

Raven had to use a good amount of precious energy to erect such a barrier, but she figured it would be worthwhile. From the wall, as if growing from nothing, sprouted two claws, shaped much like a bird's. Two wings that were equal respectively to the other were also put out. No head emerged, true, but the form nonetheless took similar shape to that of a raven. Now that her offense was set, she focused on attacking.

Bestia just barely dodged the blow aimed at her, surprised at how precise the accuracy had been. The claw swept right past her, and she tried to hit the barrier spanned around Raven with her own claws, but a dark wing protected it. The wing flapped right as her claw hit, and sent her flying backwards.

"You aren't as tough as I thought you were." Raven taunted.

"I'm just warming up." Bestia combated.

"You keep telling yourself that." she mumbled in response.

Having no more time to talk, Bestia once more leapt into the air, with more force than she had before. Her claws raked the defensive wings again, but this time, the fight they put up couldn't push her back. She slid down, her nails still aligned with the feathers, and dropped off not inches from Raven's waist, as she was still levitating.

Panicing, and starting to take the fight more seriously, Raven directed her raven's claws to slash her foe. But once more, the girl evaded her attack by jumping into the air, her form made visible only by the merciful light of the moon. Her claws hit the ground instead, causing a massive cloud of dirt to materialize. As she pulled the foot back to her, she vigorously flapped the wings, a gust of air forcing the girl's temporary retreat. The dirt cloud gave her an advantage over Bestia. Whereas she could sense Bestia's location through her immense power, Bestia was blind until the cloud either dispersed or settled back down.

Bestia was back in the air, but only temporarily. Upon her landing, she found she couldn't see anything past the cloud blocking her view. She knew that if she couldn't get this puff of dirt out of the way, she would very easily lose the fight. But at the same time, she couldn't expose her true form...

Raven willed one of the claws to strike again after she'd located her opponent. Since she controlled it, it lashed forward with lightning speed. And since her foe was momentarily blinded, she had a good feeling about this. Her claw hit something with an astounding amount of force. It was definitely Bestia. Yes; Raven had figured it out: all her attacks came from the sky, rather than the ground. She seemed to have more of an advantage, more of a mastery, actually, in the air. Once that was taken from her, she was left vulnerable.

A thud and a groan was heard in the near distance. Raven advanced forward, much like a game piece. She stopped in full sight of the one she fought. The girl's chilling hazel eyes glowered at her. She was laying on the ground, just now preparing to pick herself up. But Raven wouldn't let her have another opportunity to get that close to her again. Both claws tightened into fists of energy and both simutaneously punched her. This was more than enough force to throw her backwards.

A weak and scared, "Raven, stop!" came from Bestia, but Raven apparently didn't hear her.

The dust cloud finally settled down enough to where the two teenagers could see each other much more clearly than before. Bestia tried to take advantage of the situation, but couldn't. The force of the impact had rendered her shocked and slow to move.

Raven's dark bird claws came back and threw her up in the air, smashing her back into the ground as she reached the turning point from upward to downward. Another, much smaller, dirt cloud puffed out. But it scattered rapidly, seeming to sense the tension growing between the two. And as Raven moved closer to her foe, she noticed something that had escaped her before: Bestia's tail was tensing, causing tiny tremors to ring throughout her whole body.

The strange girl's eyes widened as a gutteral "No!" escaped her throat. She grasped her tail with one hand and attempted to hold it still. She whispered something to it, but it didn't calm. Like a raging snake, her tail lashed forth at one of Raven's wings, triggering it to protect the barrier she'd erected. Astonishingly, when the wing tried to push back its attacker, it ended up being pushed back. This seemed to summon forth the other wing for help, but that didn't work either. Now Raven's barrier was being pushed into its controller. Soon, Raven found herself being pushed back, until the tail could stretch no further.

The empath peeked nervously around her wings, and couldn't so much as budge them. So she beckoned her claws to attack as a defensive measure. The claws, since they were free, grabbed the tip of Bestia's tail and pulled it up into the air, along with its owner. They let go and did nothing to stop the inevitable impact that was to occur. Both wings spread back out so as not to block the view of Raven.

Although Bestia felt an unnecessaary anger roil inside her, she chose to ignore it. Her tail, however, did not. It whipped back and forth, slapping the ground in its agitation. Its owner tried her best to calm it down, but nothing would work. As Raven drew near again, the tail's fury grew at its knowledge that it was losing the battle.

A single dark claw lashed out, but never got to hit. The tail seemed to have reached its breaking point. It snaked around the claw and flung it backwards with as much force as it could muster. The other claw stayed put; its creator was stunned.

Bestia felt the pupils of her eyes retract into more snakelike pupils, and knew she had to stop this fight one way or another. Before things got ugly...

She snatched up her tail and used one hand to hold it down. She used the other hand to dig her claws into her tail, and leaned down to bite down on it with her fangs. The pain was excruciating, but it had to be done. The appendage squirmed in response, throwing off her hand. Blood trailed down her claws and dripped off their tips. Drops scattered around her as she bit down harder and harder. Tears fell, but this didn't stop her.

Raven watched in curiosity as her hand reluctantly reached up to the first bloody hole in her tail, and it literally connected the dots, until it reached the last one. More red fluids spilled all over the ground and didn't stop bleeding. Dark pools of blackish-purple formed and reflected the moonlight. The wound she obtained from such an aggressive action was deep. Hopefully it hadn't hit an artery. Blood finally started seeping out of the place where her fangs were as she kept increasing the pressure of the bite. This caused even the teeth that weren't fangs to rip into the poor tail. It was beginning to look like a serious injury.

"S-Surely you feel that..." Raven wondered aloud, slightly nauseated by the scene. Her barrier and its protectors dissipated, leaving only her hooded cloak's figure fluttering in the air.

The pressure of the blood started to build in an effort to remove the fangs that were piercing the tail's armored flesh. It began to get so great that it not only overflowed slightly, but Bestia's fangs were being forced back. Eventually, she gave in to to the blood's force and removed her enamel from the her tail. Blood gurgled out, forming what looked like a miniature geyser that was just ending its eruption.

Bestia weakly ran her tongue over her blood-stained teeth and dropped her upper eyelids to quell the unconsciousness starting to take over. She needed a distraction. She clawed at the area where her fangs had left two gaping holes in her tail. Redness splattered all over her hands, but she couldn't care less. She kept clawing and scratching until her tail lay motionless in a huge pond of blood that sourced a stream leading down, straight into the lake that surrounded Titans' Tower. In the water, her blood bloomed out into a murky cloud.

"I'll just go to sleep now." she proclaimed weakly. A slight smile cracked on her face, but it was a forced smile, not a real one.

Feeling like things had already gotten out of control, Raven placed one hand around Bestia's back and supported her as she led the injured girl into the medical bay so she could be fixed up and bandaged.

About halfway there, Bestia completely lost consciousness and collapsed. Raven carried her the rest of the way, not caring how much blood would stain her clothes.

Beast Boy was fast asleep, but woke when Bestia and Raven entered the room. Bestia's taill looked as thought it had been mauled by a bear, and the fact that she was passed out in Raven's arms told him the fight didn't go well.

"What happened?" he asked tiredly as Raven set her former opponent on a bed opposite of his.

"I started winning, but I think I went to far. You told me not to hold back, so I kept at her. I never started losing, and I never stopped the fight. She didn't seem to be hurt too badly when her tail started going haywire. She bit it and clawed at it and that's how it got this bloddy. But now I'm worried because the blood won't clot and it just keeps pouring out of her." she explained.

"Why would she do this to herself?" he wondered.

"I have no idea. I don't know much about the vasular aspect of tails, but if she hit an artery..." Raven trailed off, not bothering to finish the sentence as she hooked an IV up to her patient. The needle went in much harder than expected, but it got in nontheless. Nutrients were now running down the tube and into her body. "She's had needles in her before. Numerous times, actually." she observed.

"That's impossible. She's been homeless all her life, stuck in that cave we found her at. Or that's what she told us." he remembered.

Bestia's tail slowly rose up, still weak and greatly wounded. The two looked at it, wondering why, when it was motionless just moments ago, it now weakly wobbled before them.

"If she's unconscious, then why isn't her tail?" the changeling asked.

"I'm not sure. It doesn't make any sense." she pondered.

The tail collapsed and more blood spilled over, puddles soon forming on the floor. The white sheets on the bed were already red from Bestia's laying on it, but now it was wetter and drenched in the crimson liquid.

This was far worse than Raven thought. She took a step toward the door to get extra medical equipment, but was stalled by Bestia's voice. "Don't."

"Don't what? You're bleeding." the empath protested.

"I'm not a human. My life means nothing to me." she answered in a cracked, thirsty voice.

"If you aren't human, then what are you?" Beast Boy asked curiously.

"I'm...different." she replied. "I'm not like you."

"We know what different means. But that doesn't change the fact that you're still hurt." Raven pressed.

Bestia opened her eyes halfway and looked at her through glazed eyes. "Believe me when I tell you it's better if you leave me be."

"But-" Beast Boy started.

"I know what my limits are; I've pushed myself too far." A lone tear made its way down her cheek. "You'll see a side of me you wish you'd never known about soon."

While the two took their time pondering what she was speaking about, Bestia closed her eyes and relaxed her body. Though it normally wouldn't seem that bad an injury, the lack of blood had taken a huge toll and the wound had severed several veins and other blood vessels. Her life was soon hanging onto its last threads, considering her blood couldn't clot as fast as a human's.

Insinctively, she got off the bed, her eyes still closed, not wanting to see the expression their faces would reveal. Her tail hung down, limp and almost void of life. She herself wasn't faring much better. She felt weak and incapable. But this was far from the truth. She'd soon be gaining unimaginable power.


	6. Chapter 6

~Chapter 6~

After what seemed like an eternity, she felt her more cannibalistic side finally start to take over. Bestia's whole body crumpled to the floor, in preparation for a horrific transformation.

Raven took just one step forward, but stopped when she saw the girl's hand sprout much larger claws, and they were still growing.

Bestia, or what looked similar to her, lifted herself onto all fours. Her elbows bent back and her legs bent down. She shuddered, and her pupils retracted into serpent-esque ones. Her eyes remained hazel in color, but somehow looked more monstrous. Her feet, which had already been barefoot, had claws growing from toenails. The pinky finger and pinky toe on each hand or foot began to slowly move backwards onto her wrist or heel. Her fangs grew longer and much more dangerous. Her nose grew out more and more, and eventually began to merge with her upper lip, while her bottom lip merely grew out, taking with it her back teeth. Her feet lengthened into what looked like a cat or a dog's hind legs. Her tail, too, grew longer and stronger. The scales from it were rapidly spreading over her entire body. Her neck lengthened and widened, giving room for her back to grow. Even her belly, which had previously been so flat before, now grew fatter and plumper, although it still looked skinny for her new size. Her back arched, naturally making her belly look even slimmer than it already was. Two lumps started forming, as though growing from nothing, until they separated into eight finger-looking things, which seemed to be webbed around each one. A single claw grew externally from the middle of these 'duck-like fingers'. A ridge sprung unexpectedly from the very middle of her back, marking the perfect symmetry of her form. Her arms grew to look exactly like her back legs. And her tail shed every last strand of its fur, only to be replaced by black spikes.

Finally, her transformation was complete. Spines lined her jaw on both sides. Her claws had lengthened dramatically to become killing weapons that could easily destroy anything in their wake. Her upper lip and nose had merged together to form a gigantic snout. Her nostrils had widened to fit the snout. An impenetrable armor made up solely of the same scales found on her tail now clothed her, with not a speck of flesh left vulnerable. Her eyes had moved, at some point, to the sides of her large head. Two bat-like wings unfolded just slightly enough to reveal her true identity. She was, in fact, a dragon.

Beast Boy and Raven stared in awe and fear as her wings unfolded even more, knocking down most of the furniture in the room. They had sinews rippled throughout, branching from a mainstay that connected to her back. The thin but sturdy membrane between each sinew was nearly transparent; most of the room could be seen behind it.

"You-You're the beast I've read about...!" the empath whispered.

The dragon turned her head, which seemed to float in midair thanks to its long neck, and opened her reptilian jaws. A pressurized force burst from her throat, and it took everyone a few seconds to recognize it as fire. The wall at which this fire was aimed now had a huge hole, large enough for her to fit through.

She slipped through the hole and used her talons to grip the smooth metal that coated Titans' Tower. At last, she was outside.

To the teens watching, this meant she could wreak havoc on Jump City. According to all legends about dragons, they had armor in which nothing could penetrate. But everything had a weakness...right?

Raven immediately snapped out of her trance and began her mantra, "Azurath Metrion Zinthos!" From her palms shot a dark aura, and this aura grabbed hold of the creature, trying to get it contained. But she only found herself being pulled forward by the beast's brute strength. "Beast Boy!" she yelled over the single roar of the dragon.

But the shapeshifter was in a daze. A dragon? But...how? A dragon, a beast of lore, was her identity. But a beast of lore didn't exist, so how...? How had this girl managed to transform into such a being when he himself couldn't?

"BEAST BOY!" Raven shouted again, right before her aura broke.

The winged beast's spiked tail slipped through the hole, and its entire scaly body was now out of the building. It looked around and a low rumble came from deep inside its throat. It was no fake Hollywood rumble, it was the real deal.

Its claws sunk deeper into Titans' Tower for a better grip. Bricks crumbled and fell onto the rocky landscape below.

A roar was heard faintly, but undoubtedly. Mayhap this had been part of the reason she'd transformed? And where was this secondary roar coming from? Was it a signal? What did it mean?

The gargantuan devil unfurled its leathery wings in preparation to take off. It only took three or four flaps to pound the tower's side, but the monster managed to unhook its talons and soar into the sky. The wings of the terrible creature sent blasts of wind rushing through the trees below. Each wing had to be at least as big as the dragon itself.

The roar sounded again, and was returned with a low whining sound from what they assumed to be Bestia. It lowered more and more, until it became a faint whistle. Then it stopped altogether. There was no call back to the hovering beast. No roar nor whine, no sound at all.

After awhile, another large figure rose up from the trees. A long, snakelike neck reached high above the canopy. No sound still, but it was clear that the dragon's waiting had somehow paid off, because it threw itself toward this shady figure, seeming to know exactly what it was.

In just seconds, an indescribable sound rang throughout the night.

Robin and the rest of the now-awake Titans came up to the medical bay to see what was wrong. They stopped, mouths agape, when they saw the destruction wrought about the room.

"What happened?" Cyborg asked in total disbelief.

"Bestia happened," Raven answered. As if these were parting words, she used levitation to soar up after what they assumed was the true Bestia.

The voluminous beast was already engaging another monster. With wings and a lizard-like structure, it was clear there was a second dragon. The first shot of fire cleared most of the trees in an instant, but missed the primary target.

Both great creatures rose into the air, their bodies twisting and slipping around invisible rods.

It was only when the second organism thrust its head out that the battle began. The eyes seemed to glow with fury. It's teeth were seen clearly as its opponent's neck was gored, causing a scream of pain.

A flash of claws slit the second dragon's stomach. And when it cried in pain, it loosened its hold on Bestia. She pulled away and began to pant heavily, as though this fight had lasted for hours.

Another, more irritated rumble was heard. The pressure put on the throat from this sound made blood spill. And what was horrifying was what the blood did to the plants beneath it. The plants burned and developed black ridges on their leaves. Wherever the blood landed, that was where smoke rose up and scorched anything it touched.

Bestia flew speedily over to the sea surrounding the tower. Her rival followed in hot pursuit. She dove down into the body of water, only to rise quickly and roar in agony as the salt of the water burned her wounds. Her rival followed these actions, as the salt burned it as well.

But she continued her descent until she reached the sea's depth, where she settled on the sandy ground. This disturbance caused sand clouds to puff out, much like it had done when Raven was fighting her.

The rival dragon lunged through the cloud, just missing its opponent's leg. Bestia pumped her wings close to her sides and gave chase to the beast. It wasn't long before she was close enough to snap at its tail, which she didn't hesitate to do.

Huge air bubbles surfaced. What was happening down in the water? Who was winning? Both the dragons looked alike, so there would be no way to tell them apart.

Underwater, one of the great dragons screamed. The unbeknownst had. It's neck wavered in a short daze before it pulsed its wings, using them like fins to navigate through the water. But with Bestia's jaws clamped down on its tail, it couldn't get away. It would have to fight to flee.

Bestia let go of the meager portion of flesh she held and readied a blast of fire.

More air bubbles surfaced when the water glowed with a bright orangish-reddish light. This same light soon faded, and no more air was wasted on surfacing.

Bestia looked over her potential meal. It was her kill; it was rightfully hers to eat! Her teeth drove into the scalding blood of her former prey. The armor on this dragon was hard to get off, but the meat would finally satisfy her starving hunger. She needed to gain weight anyway; that wouldn't happen if she didn't eat her fill.

The water turned a horrific crimson color in the light of the moon. But the Titans already knew this; they were on their way down to discover only the most terrifying scene.

One humongous dragon loomed over the other. And the other was dead. Its blood filled the water surrounding it, satisfying its killer. And its killer was eating it. No, eating would be an understatement. Its killer was _devouring_ it.

Beast Boy gasped in both horror and shock as huge chunks of flesh were ripped from the dead's body. As the teeth of the other dragon tore through muscle and scale. Ribs crunched as the murderous creature determined to get every last strip of meat off its kill. More blood plumed in the water, obscuring all the cannibalism from view.

"Dude...is that...? Is that what I think it is?" Beast Boy said, finally breaking the eerie silence.

"Yeah, it is," Raven replied, trying not to sound jittery.

"I don't know if I want that dead dragon to be Bestia or not..." Robin commented.

"I agree. I cannot sleep tonight after what I have just witnessed," Starfire agreed.

"I second Starfire," Cyborg added.

They decided it had been enough for now, and ascended to the surface of the water, which had almost calmed from the two dragons plunging into it. A sound that sounded like a creaking sunken ship came from deep below.

It was moments later that the killer dragon flung itself out of the water and onto the top of Titans' Tower. It had so clearly feasted, with small remnants of its kill hanging off its teeth. After rapidly surveying the area, its body began to quiver.

And it took the form of Bestia.

**Reviews would be much appreciated.**


End file.
